Alarums

I’m a huge fan of Jay Nordlinger’s Impromptus column at NRO. In his column this past Wednesday — “Preferreing free false teeth, &c.” — Jay notes his attendance at the debut of the opera “Miss Lonelyhearts” (his New York Sun review is here). Jay writes:

Got to tell you something hilarious, from last night. I attend the premiere of Lowell Liebermann’s opera Miss Lonelyhearts, at the Juilliard School. And there’s a sign at the entrance of the auditorium: “Please be advised, gunshots and herbal cigarettes will be used in this performance.”

Now, this opera — like the famed novella it’s based on — features assault, fornication, perversion, madness, murder, and virtually every other kind of depravity or brutality.

And what are we warned about? Gunshots and herbal cigarettes!

You ask for commentary on modern America (don’t you?) — you got it.

About Hillary Clinton, Jay observes:

I don’t believe the Left will cause her much trouble when she runs for president in ’08. I believe she can do as much rightward pretending as she wants to do, or needs to do. She can sound like Curtis LeMay — and the Left won’t bat an eye, because they’ll know it’s just an act. They will know she’s only serving up “boob bait for Bubbas,” as the late Senator Moynihan once said.

(By the way, I’ve never liked that phrase: “boob bait for Bubbas.” Strikes me as redundant. Should be either “bait for Bubbas” or “boob bait.” I think Moynihan just fell in love with that extreme alliteration, with those three B’s. Music has its three B’s, Moynihan had his.)

Anyway…we’ll have plenty of time to talk about Hillary and ’08. Too much time, I’m afraid.